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Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Sometimes a Business Card is Much More than a Business Card

Are business cards genealogy documents in disguise? They can be. I know when a family member died a few years back, his collection of business cards led me to relatives and their phone numbers. They also served as a timeline for his own life and where he worked over the years.

Consider this business card I picked up at a vintage paper fair this year.

Not only is the man's name, address, phone number and occupation listed but at the top right he provides the names of his three daughters. While men's business cards are not typically seen as a source for female ancestors, in this case it is.

Business cards can carry important information While there isn't many places to find them currently, be on the lookout for business cards as home sources in the homes of other family members.

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About Me

Gena Philibert-Ortega holds a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master’s degree in Religion. Presenting on various subjects involving genealogy, women’s studies and social history, Gena has spoken to groups throughout the United States and virtually to audiences worldwide. Gena is the author of hundreds of articles published in genealogy newsletters and magazines including Internet Genealogy, Family Chronicle, GenWeekly and the WorldVitalRecords newsletter. She is the author of the books, From the Family Kitchen (F + W Media, 2012), Cemeteries of the Eastern Sierra (Arcadia Publishing, 2007), and Putting the Pieces Together . Gena is the editor of the Utah Genealogical Association’s journal Crossroads. An instructor for the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, Gena has written courses about social media and Google. She serves as past-president for the So. California Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. Her current research interests include social history, community cookbooks, signature quilts and researching women’s lives.